R-E-S-P-E-C-T: 87% of Independents Believe They Don’t Get it from the Media, the Political Parties or the Candidates

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: 87% of Independents Believe They Don’t Get it from the Media, the Political Parties or the Candidates

For Immediate Release:October 18, 2018

Contact:Sarah Lyons (212) 962-1824

In a blockbuster survey of close to 5,000 independent voters conducted from early June through Labor Day, non-aligned voters rendered a clear verdict on whether they get the respect they deserve from the media, the political parties or the candidates. A resounding 87.56% said they did not.

The survey asked unique questions about how independents view their place within the political system, their relationship to the parties and the rules of the electoral game. Independents from all 50 states participated and registered deep distress with the current political process and a strong desire to level the playing field.

The survey was conducted by a committee of leaders from the Independent Voting national network over a 3-month period by phone, in the field and online. The four thousand, nine hundred and eight respondents stated their political affiliation as follows: 94.25% Independent; 3.96% Democrat; and 1.79% Republican.

Independents are now the largest voting bloc in the American electorate according to Gallup, which has tracked voters by party affiliation for decades. This year the percentage of Americans who self-identify as independent has fluctuated between 41% – 45%, far outpacing both Democrats (27% – 32%) and Republicans (22% – 28%).

“While the growth in the numbers of independents has been evident for many years, typical polling questions haven’t adapted to the change. They’ve not explored independents on their own terms. We wanted to do that,” said Randy Miller, founder of the Utah League of Independent Voters who initiated the project with Independent Voting. Miller partnered with Tiani Coleman, founder of New Hampshire Independent Voters, to co-chair the committee that developed the questionnaire and built a national committee to drive the outreach. “It doesn’t serve the public interest to dismiss or mythologize independent voters when 44% of the country self-identifies as such,” said Coleman. “Independents want to be heard and want to participate with full voting rights.”